Newcastle United have turned a significant corner in recent weeks, securing four consecutive victories to move into the top-half of the table and within touching distance of retaining their Premier League status.
Having surpassed their pre-season target of 40 points, Rafael Benitez’s side are now fighting to secure a top-half finish and face a testing clash against Sam Allardyce’s Everton at Goodison Park on Monday evening.
The former Newcastle boss has endured a difficult time on Merseyside, leading to speculation over his future, and former Arsenal defender Paul Merson believes Newcastle will heap further misery upon the hosts.
Predicting a 2-1 Newcastle win for Sky Sports, Merson said:
“Newcastle are a funny team aren’t they – they’re flying! Four in a row. They’ve gone to Leicester and beat Arsenal. This is a dangerous game for Sam Allardyce. The fans will be turning up expecting to win, Sam will be under pressure to win, and there’s not much between these two teams.”
Victory for Newcastle would see them leapfrog the Toffees in the table, potentially taking them as high as eighth.
